Self-sealing vault or receptacle



y 0, 1929. w. w. HAASE SELF SEALING VAULT OR RECEPTACLE Filed NOV. 14.1927 Patented July 30, 1929.

UNITED STATES wnznnn'r w. Hines, or ronus'r PARK, rumors. 1

SELF-SEALING VA ULT OR BEGEPTAOLE.

Applicationfiled November 14, 1927. Serial No. 233,113.

This invention relates to that class of selfsealing vaults orreceptacles comprising a box body, and a cover member, one of saidmembers having a marginal tongue, and the 5 other of said members havinga grooved marginal portion adapted to admit and engage such tongue, andto contain a filler of plastic material, or material introduced into thegroove in a plastic or adhesive condition, and

having a skin or covering spread over or integral with the fillermaterial, and the outer surface of which covering is relatively harderthan the filler material within the groove and over the surface of whichsuch covering is adapted to extend, so as to tend to hold the adhesivefiller material in place within the groove, and in a condition to bespread between the grooved margin of the box cover and the tongue andtop margin of the box body or receptacle, when the tongue is admittedwithin the groove, and the cover in place upon the box body.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a slmple, economicaland efficient 2 self-sealing vault or receptacle comprising a box bodymember having a tongue in its upper margin, and a cover member having a.

groove adapted to admit such tongue, and

adapted to contain a filler, and to be hermetically sealed by thespreading of such filler between the margins.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved self-sealingvault or receptacle comprising a box body member formed of concrete, orequivalent material, and having a tongue on its upper margin, andprovided with a cover member formed of concrete or equivalent material,and having a marginal groove in the bottom margin or rim of the coverand opening downward and adapted to receive such tongue; said groovebeing provided with and adapted to contain a filler of asphaltum, orequivalent waterproof material, or material introduced into the groovein a plastic or adhesive condition, and having a skin or covering spreadover or integral with the filler material, and the outer surface ofwhich covering is relatively harder than the filler material within thegroove, said covering or skin having a nonadhesive outer surface, andbeing sufficiently strong to prevent the filler material from escapingfrom the groove, while the covering is unbroken or in normal condition,and sufiiciently fragile to enable the cover or skin- Am; 2 use likecovering to be broken by the introduction of the marginal tongue ofthe'box body member into the groove, in the operation of placing thecover in position upon the box body, to close the same, thus forming awater-proof vault or container.

Other and further objects of the invention Wlll appear from thefollowing description and claims, and from an inspection of theaccompanying drawings, which are made a part of this specification.

The invention consists in the features, combinations, and details ofconstruction herein described and claime o In the accompanyingdrawings:-' 70 F1 gure 1 is a View in perspective of a vault comprisinga box body and cover formedof concrete, or equivalent material, showingsaid cover and box body in transverse vertical section and separated, asthey would appear before placing the cover upon and in position to coverand close the box body, and before causing the normally plastic fillermaterial to spread and hermiticall seal the tongued and grooved marginso the cover and box body;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view in vertical .section showing themarginal portions, in-

cluding the grooved bottom margin, and tongue and top margin of thecover and box body respectively, as they would appear before placing thecover in position upon the box body;

Fig. 3 is a similar view in detail, in vertical section, of the partsshown in Fig. 2, as they would appear with the cover in place upon andin position to close the box body, and

with the normally plastic filler material spread between and acting tohermetically ieail the united margins of the cover and box Fig. 4 is anenlarged detail view in vertical section showing the grooved bottommargin of the cover provided with a filler of asphaltum spread into andin direct adhesive contact with the walls of the groove, and with theouter surface of the filler material suificiently hardened by drying, torender the1 filler self-sustaining within the groove; an

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a modification of the means forcovering and holding the normally plastic filler material within thegroove.

In constructing a vault, or receptacle, in, 110

accordance with my invention and improveor main cover portion 6, w ichis, by pref erence, arched, and provided with rooved bottom side and endmargins or uprig t walls 7 which extend entirely around the bottom orrim of the cover.

The bottom side marginal portions or side walls of the cover are inparallel relation to and adapted to be secured in abutting engagementwith the top margins of the side walls 2 of the box body and the bottomend walls, or bottom end margins and upright'end wall portions of thecover are in parallel relation to and adapted to be secured in abuttingengagementwith the upper margins of the corresponding upright end walls3 of the box body. The cover member 5 is provided with a bottom marginalgroove 8, which is, by preference, substantially in the form' of aninverted V, in cross-section and extends entirely around the bottommargin or rim of the cover, or, in other words, along the bottom edge ofthe upright side and end walls or bottom marginal portions 7 of thecover,

so as to form a continuous marginal bottom groove which opens downwardthroughout its entire length and throughout the entire bottom margin ofthe rim of the cover.

The box body 1 is provided with a continuous upwardly projectingtopmarginal tongue 9 which extends along and throughout the entire topmarginal portions of the upright side walls 2 and end'walls 3 of the boxbody, and is adapted to extend into and in interlapping engagement withthe bottom groove 8 in the bottom margin of the cover.

The bottom marginal groove 8 in the cover is, by preference, tapered, orapproximately V-shaped in cross-section, as already suggested, and islocated between inner and outer marginal wall portions 10 and 11; and

the endless upwardly projecting mar 'nal tongue 9 on the upper margin orrim 0 the box body member is also, by preference, similarly tapered,-andsomewhat wider at its base than at its upper edge, and adapted to fitwithin the groove snugly, and sufficiently close to the walls of thegroove to hold the cover accurately in proper fitting engagement withthe box body, but with suflicient space between the tongue and theadjacent walls of the groove to admit and permit the proper spreading ofsuitable filler and sealing material between the tongue and grogye.

A quantity of suitable filler and sealing material. 12 which, bypreference, consists of orcomprises asphaltum, or a suitable compositioncontaining asphaltum or equivalent water-proof sealing material, isintroduced into the marginal groove 8 in the cover, while said filler orsealing material is in a plastic adhesive condition, and adapted toadhere tightly to the concrete whichforms the walls of the groove, aswell as to the tongue 9 on the top margin of the box body, when saidtongue is introduced into the groove, so as to form a strong water-proofsealedconnection between the grooved marginal portion or rim of thecover, and the tongue and top margin or rim of the box body, when thecover is placed upon and in position to close the latter.

For this purpose, I prefer to employ asphalt, or a bituminous compoundor composition containing asphalt, which is introduced into the openbottom marginal groove or slot 8 in the bottom rim ormargin of thecover, in a plastic condition, and while sufiiciently soft to tightlyadhere to the concrete walls of the slot or groove. A'suflicientquantity of this bituminous filler and sealing material is thusintroduced into the groove 8 while the cover 5 is inverted, topartially, and, by preference, almost entirely fill the groove.

I The filler and sealing material is then allowed to dry and harden atits outer surface, but

without materially drying or hardening the main body of said material orthat part of the material which is covered by the outer frelatively dryand somewhat harder thin skin or covering 13, which is thus caused toform on'the exposed surface of the filler ma terial and forms a'film orcovering for they latter which is sufiiciently strong to hold the fillermaterial in place in the groove even when the cover 5 is in uprightposition andthe groove is open downward and exposed in los position toreceive the tongue 9 of the box body or vault body 1. But the relativelydry and strong or hard skin, coating or covering- 13 thus formed over oron the otherwise exposed bottom surface of the filler material fragileand easily broken, so that the introduction of the top marginal tongueor flange 9 of the box body will break the coating, skln -or covering13, and release and permit the mentitious material 14 is applied to theinner walls of the groove or recess 8 in -a moist '12 is, by preference,sufliciently thin, or

iii

plastic condition, before the required quantity of bituminous filler andsealing material 1.2 is introduced. This coating or layer 14 of adhesivematerial may consist of or contain glue, or may consist of hydrauliccement, or a composition containing bitumlnous cementitious material orasphalt, or other suit-able adhesive material spread upon and inadhesive contact with the inner surfaces of the inner flange 10 andouter flange 11 which form the opposite side walls of the groove orrecess 8, and the depending marginal rim or recessed depending marginalflange of the cover member. The filler 12 of bituminous or asphalticmaterial in a plastic adhesive condition may then be introduced into therecess or groove 8, and is allowed to dry and harden at its outerexposed surface sufficiently to form a relatively strong butsufliciently frangible exposed surface coating or covering 13 whichcovers and normally holds the more moist and plastic material 12 inplace within the groove or recess 8 until the covering 13 is broken byintroducing the upwardly projecting marginal tongue or flange 9 on themarginal rim of the box body into the groove or recess 8. This breakingof the covering 13 and the releasing and spread ing of the plasticadhesive material 12 between and in adhesive hermetically sealedwater-tight engagement with the depending grooved and flanged marginalportions of the cover and the upwardly projecting tongue or flange 9 andtop rim or margin of the box body is accomplished automatically byplacing the cover upon and in position to close the box body.

I have found in practice, however, that, by providing a bituminous or asI haltic material or composition 12 of suita le normally plasticadhesive consistency, and introducing it into the groove 8 in the manneralready described, but without first applying a coating 14 of adhesivematerial to the concrete walls of the groove, and then allowing thefiller or bituminous composition or cementitious material 12 to dry andharden at its outer exposed surface, so as to form a sufliciently strongrelatively hard outer coating or covering 15 which is integral with thefiller 12 thus formed, the filler 12 with its integral outer or bottomexposed relatively strong and hardened, but sufficiently fragile coatingor skin covering 15 in adhesive contact with the walls of said groove,is adapted to sustain itself within the groove even when the cover 5 isin upright position, and that the outer integral skin or covering 15,thus formed, is adapted to be automatically broken by the introductionof the tongue 9, and will permit the filler 12 to automatically spreadand seal the connection between the cover and box body as alreadydescribed. (See Fig. 4.)

In Fig. 5 is shown a grooved bottom wall or rim 7 of a cover 5,containing a filler of bituminous or as haltic material 12 in a normallyplastic ad esive condition, as last-above described in connection withFig. 4, but with a modified form of bottom covering 16, of paper, orother suitable fibrous'or similar sheet material, covering the outersurface of the filler 12 and adhesively secured in engagement with thewalls of the groove, said covermg of sheet material 16, beingsufliciently strong to retain the filler within and in adhesiveengagement with the walls of the groove, and sufficiently fragile to beautom atically broken, and to permit the spreading of the filler andsealing material 12 in adhesive hermetically sealed engagement with therecessed and flanged marginal portion of the cover and the flanged upperrimof the box body when the cover is in place and the vault is closed.

From the foregoing it will be'readily understood that by having thebottom recess or groove 8 and the plastic material in the flanged cover,and the upwardly projecting flange or tongue 9 on the upper margin orrim of the box-body, the normally plastic adhesive material or cementcontained in said groove or recess will be shielded and protected whenthe cover is ofi, and also during the operation of lowering and placingthe cover upon and in position to close the vault. Means is thusprovided for preventing foreign substances from being caught between themargin of the cover and the top rim of the box body.

Additional means is also, by preference, provided, which consists inchamfering or beveling the outer margin of the top rim of the box-body,so as to provide an upper marg1nal surface portion or series of beveledmarginal surface portions 18 which extend downward and outward at anincline outside of the flange 9 and from the base of said flange to theouter face of the upright wall of the box-body beneath the outer flange11 of the cover on all sides of the cover. And marginal shoulders 19 areformed on and integral with the upper beveled margin or rim of thebox-body. Said shoulders project outward from the upper extremity of thebeveled surface portions 18 and beneath the outer depending flange 11 ofthe cover, for limiting the downward movement of the cover relatively tothe box-body, particularly during the operation of lowering the coverinto position toclose the vault.

Any foreign substances which may fall upon the upper flanged rim of thebox-body will thus be thrown off or permitted to escape from between themarginal flange of the cover and the rim of the box-body or vault.

In operation, the cover, having the bottom marginal cement-containinggroove normally open downward on the under side of the cover,

is placed over the box-body member and its contents, with said bottomcement-containing groove of the cover in position to receive theupwardly projecting mar maltongue or flange on the upper rim of theox-body withwater-tight connection between the cover and the box-body,and with cement-retaining means on the under side of the plastic cement,

' formed of relatively hard but sufficiently frangible cement or othersuitable materialadapted to be broken by the upwardl projecting marginaltongue or flange on t e upper rim of the box-body, it will be readilyseen that said upwardly projecting tongue or flange on the box-body iscaused to enter and engage said marginal groove in the cover, and tobreak through said frangible layer or cement-retaining means and extendinto the cement in said groove.

The plastic cement is thus released and caused to spread between and inadhesive contact with said tongue and groove. And a hermetically sealedwater-proof connection is ghuis formed between the cover and the box-The tongue and groove and connected and sealed margins .of the cover andbox-body overlap each other and fit together, and are of suitableconformation to retain and prevent theescape of the cement until the.cement is allowed to harden and set, so as to form a permanentair-tight and water-tight sealed connection between said cover andboxbody. It will be readily understood that the relatively hardfrangible cement-retaining means which normally extends across thebottom of the cement-containing groove 8 in the cover, is broken intofragments by the upri ht tongue 9 0n the rim of the box body when thecover is lowered into positionto close the vault. rial remains in placein adhesive engagement with the bottom marginal portions, of the sidewalls of the roove, and other loose fra ments of the bro en frangiblematerial ecome lodged between the tongue 9 and the walls of the groove;and the fragments of frangible material thus tend to close the crevicesbetween the baseof the flange or tongue 9 and the bottom margins of theside walls of the groove, thus tending to obstruct and prevent theescape of the plastic cement which fills the interstices between thebroken fragments of said relatively hard frangible material.

And the plastic'cement becomes set and hardenedbetween and in sealingengagement with the base of the upright tongue 9 and thewalls of thegroove. (See Figs. 2 and 3.) Continuous lon 'tudinal marginal flanges orshoulders 17 aving flat horizontal top surfaces which extend along theinside and outside of the base of the tongue 9, as clearly shown in Fig.2, the outer shoulder being narrower than the inner one, may berovided,"but are not essential,'as an additional means for retaining theplastic cement in place between the tongue and the walls of the grooveuntil the cementis hardened or set.

1. In a vault, the combination of a'boxbody, a cover having a bottomrecess on its under side adapted to contain cement for securing thecover in hermetically sealed engagement with the box-body, a dependingmarginal flange on said cover and forming an outer side wall of saidrecess, and an upwardly projecting marginal flange on the upper mm ofthe box-body and adapted to extend into said recess and inside of and inlapped relation to the depending marginal flange on the cover, saidbox-body having a beveledmarginal surface portion extending downward andoutward at an incline beneath said depending marginal flange on saidcover and adapted to permit the escapeof foreign substances from betweenthe margins of t e cover and box-body.

2. In a vault, the combination of a cover having a bottom recess on itsunder side adapted to contain cement for securing the cover inhermetically sealed engagem out with the box-body, a depending marginalflange on said cover and forming side walls of said recess, a box-bodyhaving an upwardly projecting marginal flange adapted to extend intosaid recess and inside of and in lapped relation to said dependingmarginal flange Some of the frangible mateon said cover, said box-bodyhaving a beveled upper marginal surface portion extending downwardandoutward at an incline beneath said marginal flange on said cover, andmarginal shoulders on the rim of the box-body and projecting beneath thebottom margin of said depending marginalflange on said cover, forlimiting the downward movement of the cover relatively to the top marginof the boxbody.

Si ned at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois this 31stday of October,

WILBERT W. .HAASE.

